Battle for Aleppo

Updated 1922 GMT (0322 HKT) December 19, 2016

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Photos:Battle for Aleppo

Civilians wait to be bussed out of besieged areas of eastern Aleppo, Syria, as evacuations continue on Monday, December 19. A people-swap deal struck between rebels and Syrian government forces was set to begin over the weekend, but evacuations were temporarily put on hold after a number of buses were set on fire.

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Photos:Battle for Aleppo

Syrian pro-government forces wave to evacuees from the villages of Foua and Kefraya on December 19. While people were being bused out of Aleppo, safe passage was also given to people in areas held or besieged by rebels, the Aleppo Media Center activist group said.

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Militants burned at least five buses assigned to evacuate people in Aleppo on Sunday, December 18. Aleppo has been held by rebels for the past four years, but it is now almost entirely under government control.

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Buses drive through the Syrian government-controlled crossing of Ramoussa, on the southern outskirts of Aleppo, on December 18.

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Russian soldiers and Syrian pro-government forces look on as civilians and rebel fighters are evacuated from Aleppo on Friday, December 16. Evacuations began a day earlier under a new ceasefire between rebels and pro-government forces.

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Pro-government forces guard a convoy of buses and ambulances during the evacuation operation on December 16.

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Civilians arrive in the opposition-controlled Khan al-Aassal region, to the west of Aleppo, on Thursday, December 15. Most of the civilians from Aleppo will be taken to a rebel-controlled area in the neighboring province of Idlib.

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A wounded boy sits inside an ambulance during the evacuations on December 15.

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Staff members of the Syrian Red Crescent wait near ambulances as the evacuation operation gets underway on December 15.

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Buses line up to transport people away from eastern Aleppo on December 15.

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A woman leads family members toward the evacuation buses on December 15.

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A woman in a wheelchair waits to board a bus during evacuations on December 15.

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A member of the civil defense carries a wounded boy out of a hospital in eastern Aleppo on December 15.

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Pro-government forces advance in Aleppo on Wednesday, December 14.

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A wounded woman is helped into the bed of a truck on December 14.

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Buses wait to evacuate people in Aleppo on December 14.

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Pro-government forces advance on December 14.

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Pro-government forces walk in the ancient Umayyad Mosque after capturing the area on Tuesday, December 13.